Question:
Assalamu Alekum
Shaykh Hisham said on the 6th of April 2011 at Dhuhur time in his lecture in Lefke that Saydunna Abu Bakr is older than prophet s.a.w.
In most of the documents in the internet it is mentioned that he is 2 years younger than prophet s.a.w.
Could you please give me some clarification.Thank you.
Wassalamu alekum
Answer:
`Alaykum as-Salam,
You are referring to the report that Abu Bakr was 63 when he died, which does make him two years younger; however, another report, from Qatada, states he was 65. This is mentioned by Abu Nu`aym in Ma`rifat al-Sahaba and al-Tabari in his Tarikh as cited by al-Dhahabi in Siyar A`lam al-Nubala’, and Allah knows best.
Hajj Gibril Haddad
